The VA almost made this injured vet a homeless vet

Joe Tannenbaum spent so much time on the phone with Veterans Affairs customer service drones that he seemed to know their jobs better than they did.

I sat across from him in his living room in late January while he placed a call to the VA service center in Manhattan. Photographer Mike Farrell rolled the digital tape while Joe showed us his weekly ritual of waiting on hold, answering the same questions, and asking when his claim might be processed. While he waited, he fell further behind on his property taxes and nearly lost his house.

Read the column to see how it all turned out.If you’re having trouble with the VA, you’re in good company. You can call your congressman or congresswoman. They have staff people whose job it is to help constituents having trouble with red tape. For most people in the Capital Region that’s either the offices of Mike McNulty or Kirsten Gillibrand.